Yes, the Detroit Red Wings have ample goaltending depth, but they should still consider trading for John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks.
Gibson remains a highly skilled goalie and would become Detroit’s undisputed No. 1 if acquired. This is a unique situation where the future value of a veteran player may surpass his current worth. The Red Wings should seize this opportunity before another team does. Here’s why.
Gibson Would Provide Red Wings With Stability in Net
Firstly, Gibson is under contract through 2027. The Red Wings haven’t had a goalie play three consecutive seasons with the team since Jimmy Howard was in net.
In addition to contractual stability, Gibson has proven to be a dependable netminder. He started 63.8 percent of Anaheim’s games over the last five years, averaging about 52 starts per 82-game season. This was the plan for Husso in 2023-24, but injuries disrupted it.
With Gibson taking on this workload, Cam Talbot would get around 30 starts, an ideal number for the journeyman goaltender. This is also a manageable number of starts for Sebastian Cossa when he potentially joins the Red Wings full-time in 2025-26.
Performance-wise, Gibson’s recent stats—save percentage, goals-against average, and goals-saved above expected—may raise concerns. However, goalie stats depend heavily on the team’s defense, and stats don’t always reflect talent.
One significant stat is high-danger chances against (HDCA). Gibson faced 9.25 HDCA/60 in 2023-24, the third-most in the NHL among goalies who played 600-plus minutes. Clearly, the team in front of him didn’t offer much support.
Despite this, Gibson’s save percentage on HDCA was .820, matching Juuse Saros and slightly better than Sergei Bobrovsky. Overall, Gibson ranks 26th among 71 qualifying goalies for high-danger save percentage.
The talent is there, and a better defense in front of Gibson would highlight this.
Gibson Could Mentor Red Wings’ Cossa
When Gibson entered the league in 2014, he was a top prospect for the Ducks. At 20, he started playoff games over entrenched starter Jonas Hiller and fellow rookie Frederik Andersen, who had an impressive season.
Gibson’s talent allowed the Ducks to move on from Hiller and trade away Andersen. By 23, he was Anaheim’s franchise goalie.
In 2024, Gibson is 31 and has been sharing the crease with top prospect Lukas Dostal. At this stage, he’s the perfect mentor for Sebastian Cossa. As a former top prospect and high draft pick, Gibson knows how to handle the associated pressures. In Detroit, he would have at least two years of overlap with Cossa, mentoring the Red Wings’ top goalie prospect just as he has done with Dostal.
Cossa is poised to become Detroit’s starter. Having someone like Gibson to guide him and demonstrate professionalism would be invaluable for the young netminder.
Final Word
The talent, stability, and mentorship Gibson can bring to the organization present too much value to ignore. Detroit should prioritize acquiring him before the 2024-25 season.
A package including Ville Husso (with a clean bill of health), a defensive prospect—one of William Wallinder, Albert Johansson, or Shai Buium—and a 2025 second-round pick should suffice. This is a reasonable offer for Gibson and a calculated risk for Detroit.
(This plan would also involve trading or buying out Talbot—$833,334 for two seasons—after the 2024-25 season to make room for Cossa.)
With Gibson, the Red Wings’ goaltending depth would transform from a weakness to a strength. He could be the final puzzle piece in building a playoff-bound roster.
